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Spotlight

Our success starts with our alumni whose achievements are a direct reflection on our standing as one of the best education and research institutions in the world. Many have gone on to prominence. They have made – and continue to make – their marks and achieve excellence in a variety of fields such as business, medicine, arts, and the government.

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“It was around July 1971 when I received a telegram from Professor Heinz Arndt informing me of the offer of a PhD Scholarship at ANU,” said Dr Paul Chan, founder of and now Vice- Chancellor and President of HELP (Higher Education Learning Philosophy...

In 1966, Tim Overall started an economics degree.
In 1966, Tim Overall’s number was called.
It was the call for military service for the Vietnam War. He received a letter at his family home in Canberra.
“My first reaction was to ring all my friends...

"I originally wanted to study film, so I did the closest I could do: English and History,” says Andrew Pike, now Managing Director of Ronin Films and founder of Electric Shadows Cinema.
"But really, my training and university experience was a...

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Richard Barwick (1929-2012) enjoyed a long and event-filled career built on his love for nature and the outdoors.
Richard spent most of his career as a vertebrate zoologist, paleontologist, Antarctic explorer and...

Pete Hamill wrote for the New York Post:
"The girl's name was Megan Stoyles and she had a marvellous chest bouncing beneath a white tee-shirt with the words Make Love Not War stencilled across the front. In about 13 seconds she had attracted half...

It didn’t seem like it at the time, but Susan Bambrick was a feminist.
“I was then at McMaster University, Canada doing a course in Monetary and Mathematical Economics. It was the tail end of the Woodstock-era and during the midst of the Cultural...

The founder of Batyr, a not-for-profit organisation that supports university and school students struggling with mental health challenges, Sebastian, turned a personal struggle into a national success story that has reached more than 5,000 young...

Community advocate, political activist and graduate student in international environmental law and legal practice, Julie Melrose has made an outstanding contribution to ANU and the community. As the President of the Postgraduate and Research...

A passionate commitment to human rights is the common thread throughout Jennifer’s studies and career. Best known for her work as a pro bono legal adviser to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, Jennifer, as Director of Legal Advocacy for the Bertha...

Georgia’s commitment and enthusiasm to volunteer leadership ranges from sport to assisting refugees. As a resident of Fenner Hall, she served as Sports Coordinator, Senior Resident and Community Coordinator. She was a representative on the ANU...

The strong sense of community that Katrina, a Canberra native, brought with her when she enrolled at ANU in 2008 contributed to the founding of ANU Volunteers. Now known as ANU V, the group is one the largest on campus with nearly 600 students,...

Ray, a Wongaibon man from far west New South Wales, has a passion for Indigenous health and is the first Indigenous PhD candidate at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) in the College of Medicine, Biology and...

Aditya is a science communicator extraordinaire. As a PhD candidate in the Research School of Earth Sciences focusing on the elemental composition of life, Aditya has been an energetic ambassador for his field of science and research. His recent...

With a shared entrepreneurial spirit, Danny’s systems engineering expertise and Chris’s business acumen, the two co-founded Organic Response, an innovative Australian engineering company that is revolutionising lighting control technology, in 2011....

Dr Cheong has carved out an extraordinary career as an academic, a business leader, and a community leader. He came to Australia from Malaysia to pursue university education as a Colombo Plan Scholar, and after completing his PhD, returned to...

Tony started his studies during the University’s very early days, and has many fond memories and entertaining stories about life on campus. One of the first residents of Bruce Hall, Tony can recall having to trudge through the mud on the...

A humanitarian engineer, advocate for people with a disability, mentor, entrepreneur and traveller, Huy is changing the face of disability access in Australia and the Pacific.
Having contracted polio as a baby in Vietnam and using a wheelchair to...

A public policy powerhouse, Martin is an inspirational figure both as a high-profile alumnus who has contributed to real public policy change, and for his active involvement in supporting education and ANU.
Martin joined The Treasury in 1981 after...

Business leader, innovator, advocate for women in business and volunteer, JuE has lived by the maxim of never taking the easy option.
Originally from Singapore, JuE chose to do her undergraduate studies in Canberra, away from her friends and family...

Anne has built a formidable career as a lawyer, practitioner, teacher and scholar with a significant international reputation in human rights and the administration of criminal justice.
After graduating from ANU with a Master of International Law in...